A$AP Rocky stars in a touching, tragic, and triumphant ad for Mercedes-Benz’s “Grow Up” campaign. In the cinematic commercial, the Harlem rapper reflects on his older brother Ricky, who was murdered when Flacko was just a kid.

“Growing up, I had this beat stuck in my head,” he says, as sleek visuals depicting his childhood flash on screen. “No matter what, I could never really get it out. I guess when you young, you could be anything you want to choose, but as you get older, all of those options start to narrow and before you know it, every choice you make comes with a consequence. Whenever shit got rough, this beat was always there. But one day, man, the beat just stopped.

“My brother moved on, but the beat came back, pulsing through every vein in my body,” he added. “My older brother Ricky is responsible for me growing up and having a real job.”

The ad shows Ricky encouraging his younger brother to pursue his dream. “Come on, Rocky,” he whispers. “Just go for it. Just rap.”

The commercial for the CLA Coupé is just one part of the luxury car maker’s “Grow Up” campaign. “[It] is much more than a major campaign about model series,” says Dr. Jens Thiemer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “It is a further move forward by the brand as a whole towards more modernity, progressivism and dynamism across the entire brand identity of Mercedes-Benz.”